Last thursday was a particularly hectic day. Went from one office to the other in meetings that simply left the throat dry from over exertion - too much talking.
By late morning, I was hungry and tired. It didn't help that I was seated in one of the offices of KFC Ghana - my thoughts were centered on spicy juicy chicken.
And then something on the desk caught my attention. It was a carving of the African map and underneath it was the inscription - "Africa is not for sissies".
My host was on the phone but he noticed my fascination with his carving and got off the phone for a few seconds to say " yes, Africa is not for sissies" to which I replied with a nod, a smile and "true" muttered ever so softly.
These words saw me through the day, the week and perhaps will see me through the year.
Africa is indeed not for sissies! Think about it ...
In our part of the world, nothing works as it should. Structures? institutions? - non existent or all over the place, leaving most things to individual discretion and (good) judgement ... which is asking alot of a system which is still aspiring to understand itself. We do not have the discipline needed to exercise discretion and good judgement, we NEED the structures and institutions.
Simple and mundane things like getting on a bus, buying food, going through registration processes (on campuses, at the National Service Secretariat ...) are a struggle - literally! (I'm talking physical fights).
Education - the frustration and confusion in the system (medical school, law school ...) ...
Or perhaps trying to get a job or worse, trying to establish your own "company" ...
It beats my mind that today, in 2014, giving birth (procreation - nature at it's very core) is still a matter of life and death for a sizable number of the population.
The cost of living is high ... salaries are low ...
How does one survive, not to talk of flourish in these parts? Not by complaining, that's for sure.
Survival of the fittest. That could explain the corruption. I refuse to accept that as the only way.
One has to be fit to survive, yes! It's why we have to keep pushing and knocking and learning and teaching and going the extra mile ... that must be the way!
There has to be a way because this our place, our Africa, it aint for sissies!
